The Same but Different

“She’ll have chips please”

Moving to a different country, beginning a new life, a new adventure – it is so exciting, it is not something everyone gets to experience and I am amazed I have been given this opportunity, however I am the first to admit it was one of the scariest steps I have ever taken in my life. Not knowing what is waiting for you on the other side there are so many unanswered questions running through your mind; Will I find somewhere to live? Will I make friends? Will I fit in? You get the picture.

I don’t know about you but when these types of questions or big steps present themselves in everyday life it is usually my friends and family that are first on hand to help me and vice versa. The thought that everyone you love and care about (apart from Ian…!!) will be in a different country, even a different time zone is slightly terrifying and I think that is what makes saying goodbye so difficult.

Looking back I think I was dreading saying goodbye more than actually leaving England. We (I say we, I mean Ian) considered having a party before we left but the idea of me sobbing into my glass of wine whilst Ian fought his way to become beer pong champion didn’t quite appeal to me, instead we had lots of different nights out spread over the last few weeks which consisted mainly of stuffing ourselves with alcohol and food – who can complain about that?

The truth is right before you leave you won’t have the time to think about the next stage of your life and when you do it just feels so far away, especially if it has been a long wait to get to this point. Living in a place you do not know is a hard thing to imagine but trust me it will soon sneak up on you!

I (sort of) managed to hold myself together when the time came to say goodbye to mine and Ian’s family before heading to Middlesbrough train station. When we arrived to our platform we walked into the coffee shop like it was any other day ready to place our order. But then it happened. The waitress asked me what I would like and after studying the menu for a bit too long I burst into tears, turned around and sat down at a table on my own whilst the poor waitress looked on awkwardly.

Hi! My name is Rachel Collins, welcome to my world where I light-heartedly document my attempts at figuring out life as a twenty-something, and giving my honest opinion on the expatriate way of living as a British girl in Philadelphia, USA. Click 'About Me' to find out a little more.